YouTube has huge media advantages over mainstream media:

1. It’s free. Buying airtime is way expensive.
2. It has global reach. Airtime only reaches a regional broadcast area.
3. It’s viral. Anybody can embed YouTube messages like I’ve done.

It’s time to call YouTube the uber-network, it transcends TV and cable. Barack Obama has endorsed it for his weekly addresses to the people:

The auto industry, care of GM’s PR group, has also made its plea on YouTube:

Note that Barack and GM have followed the “sound bite” rule – 4 minutes tops to keep our peripatetic consumer focus.

Final thought: Advertising can be served up free on YouTube and other online video services, and people can comment on them freely. Multimillion dollar national TV ad campaigns become budget-challenged in this economy, and ad agencies start looking like candidates for disintermediation.

Most corporations are backing into developing a social media presence just because it’s being demanded by their managements when they read the headline: 93% of Americans want Companies to have presence on Social Media Sites.

Valleywag notes the social media manager at GM admits she doesn’t quite see the ROI of social media-izing their cars:

“It’s hard to put a specific dollar value on this, but it’s something we have to do,” said Natalie Johnson, GM (NYSE: GM)’s social media manager

From GM Set to Relaunch Social Media Site – Information Week

All the bells and whistles of a social network – including wikis, videos and podcasts – for a small group of social media oriented GM car owners…

A mom’s social network devoted to bleach!

Yes, lots of folks comment on the utility of kitty litter! (h/t ReadWriteWeb)

And in July,  Mashable published a list of 35 more corporate social media – oriented sites with varying degrees of creativity and utility.

Related article: Social software projects often fail without purpose